Human trafficking victims are often held in slave-like conditions and forced to work in the sex trade or other servitude. One international organization estimated about 25 million people were trafficked in 2016.
The U.S. seeks to combat trafficking. For example, the Departments of State, Labor, Homeland Security, and Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development have programs to prevent trafficking, prosecute traffickers, and protect survivors.
We've highlighted our prior work on U.S. anti-trafficking activities. For instance, we found that staffing gaps, unclear roles, and weaknesses in monitoring have impeded some efforts.
